The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1887-01-15
CARD-SHARPiNG.
som" 90 the Principal Tricks Practiced by
Professional Rascals.

ence, though even that can be dis
pensed with a quick eye, a certain
amount of GOODNESS and practice.
There are several ways. The principal
things are. no matter what the game
may be, ts ''ready" the pack, and to
avoid or neutralize the cut. Take
ecarte. The object to be attained is to
get the eighth, ninth, tenth and elev-
enth cards from the top to be of the
,amesuit. The "readying" always oc-
ours after the first hand and out of the
eleven cards which lie with their faces
uppermost on the table, it is not diff
cult to spot four good cards and place
them on the top of the pack. In the
course Of the shuttle seven more cards
are placed on the top of these.
The next thing is to avoid or
ncUiralize the cut, which is not
So difficult as may appear when
accompanied by pleasant "patter, "
which is necessary to all tricks. The
pack is now ''readied," and when dealt
it will be found that the tenth, ninth
and eighth cards, which are in the
dealers hand, are of the same suit as
the eleventh card, which he turns up as
trumps.
The means of neutralizing the cut,
when it can not be avoided, are called
the bridge" and "pass." When the
pack is "readied," and the sharp sees
ne can not avoid the cut, he takes some
fifteen cards from the bottom of the
pack, which he holds in his hand. These
fifteen cards he bends slightly length
ways. so as to form slight curve and
throws them carelessly on the pack.
The odds are about one hundred to one
that his adversary will cut the fifteen
bent cards and leave the "readied"
pack in its original position. The trick
is sometimes performed backwards, as
if the sharp were cutting himself, by
mistake, after shutting.
The pass" is not so easy, and is per-
formed by straightforward. When the
cards are "readied," the pack is pre-
scented to be cut. When this is done
two portions are on the table, and it is
Tor the sharp who is dealing to readjust
them into one pack. This he does in
the following way; He takes up the
.readicd" cards in his right hand and
passes them to his left hand. He then
takes mp the remaining cards with his
right hand, apparently as if to place
them on top of the 'readied" cards.
Instead of doing so, however, he, by a
sleigbt-of-hand which is performed with
the tip of the little finger of his left
hand, and quick movement of the
other fingers, which could not be ex,
planned in print, manages to reverse
the two portions, thus leaving the
''roadied" cards in their original posi-
ton on the top, as they were before
the pack was cut.
Another way of sharpening is very
popular in baccarat, and is called the
slip" or second pulling" This il
performed with marked cards, or wha
are called READERS" The most i'm
portant cards-namely, the Fights
mines, tens and court cards-are mark
ed in a way that no one but the peo
pie lin the know" could possibly dis
>oyer, A great deal of skill is neces
sary in dealing, so that the gree ca
deal himself, if required, the "seeon,
pulers'' or marked cards from eve
the second, third or fourth cards down
while all the time appearing to hel
himself honestly from the top. Thes
marked cards or "readers" are mad
and sold largely in America by circr
lar. and single pack costs as much a
FLYER" Recently well-known clu
man received circular from one c
these scoundrelly firms, in which the
offered him a large commission on a
orders which he obtained.
One of the best recognized, but mo,
risky modes of sharping at cards,
what is called "the drunken mug
The best way of explaining it will b
10 give an example which occurred
few years ago at a well-knOwn water
ing-place. The mug was induced
play in his own rooms with thro
sharps, who had singled him out fC
slaughter. The game was not for read
money, and the mug was mad
drunk by dropping salt in his liquo
The next morning one of the sharper
called or him and proffered him SCI
which he professed to have lost owe
night to the 'mug." The "mug," nj
.uspccting or remembering any thing
took the money, and thought the shan
very decent fellow Not very Ion
after, however, the two other SHARP
called upon him and presented winnin
accounts for $500. The mug" sa
the game Immediately, and was on tt
point of refusing to pay, when he +
membered that he had incautiOusly a
cepted the other mans 500, and ha
put himself out of court. The SHARP
---l,o,,, 4bnvr mana Iao1ipi